The people along the sand
All turn and look one way.
They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.
As long as it takes to pass
A ship keeps raising its hull;
The wetter ground like glass
Reflects a standing gull.
The land may vary more;
But wherever the truth may be---
The water comes ashore,
And the people look at the sea.
They cannot look out far.
They cannot look in deep.
But when was that ever a bar
To any watch they keep?
Neither Out Far Nor In Deep
ReplyDeleteIn analyzing Neither Out Far Nor In Deep, it is if all people are united in a prevalent blindness of their own self. It involves the people on the sand all gathered and looking one way; towards the ocean and their backs turned on the land. The people mystically gaze in search of a truth that cannot be found as Frost writes, “The people along the sand All turn and look one way. They turn their back on the land.
They look at the sea all day.” It is as if they search for themselves in an alternate reality while glaring at the ocean, which seemingly goes on forever. In doing this, they turn their backs on land which is what is considered real and solid. It is like they are choosing to forget about what they know while in search of something unique and altering. “As long as it takes to pass a ship keeps raising its hull; the wetter ground like glass Reflects a standing gull.” This part of the poem is significant as the reflection shows a single gull which it seems represents the masses. It shows that no matter how many people appear there, they are unified in their ignorance. It shows that many are like one and that classifies the group as an individual. Each person standing there is in search of an understanding that seems to beyond comprehension. Frost Writes, “The land may vary more; but wherever the truth may be---The water comes ashore, And the people look at the sea.” He talks about the land varying; but even though it varies, the truth will still wash ashore there. It seems since the people are staring at the sea, and their backs are to the land, the truth will always wash up in front of them. In interpreting that, the truth could be right in front of each person; but they continually over look it in search of something better and in a way unrealistic. He writes, “They cannot look out far. They cannot look in deep. But when was that ever a bar to any watch they keep?” In my opinion this can be translated to they cannot see their futures but yet they choose to search for it. They also cannot find it in themselves to change that outlook as “they cannot look in deep.” They are so consumed with what is not real and a way to see what lies ahead, that they have lost touch with themselves. With so many people lost, Frost uses the gull to classify the group as one. "The people of the present poem, however, continue to 'look at the sea all day,' seduced by its deep, dark, mysterious depths. Turning their backs on the land world, their world, they have violated their promises; they are asleep to their human responsibilities, as their comparison to the reflected image of a solitary gull suggests. For 'gulls' they surely are. All of this adds up to one inescapable conclusion: The people are indeed 'gulls'--that is, dupes. In their search for ultimate reality they have been tricked, cheated, conned. It is all a fraud, insists Frost (for all that they do see is the occasional passing ship mentioned in lines 5 and 6), and he clearly holds their vain efforts in contempt. As the final stanzas make dramatically clear, they are wasting away their lives in a meaningless quest, for whatever it is and wherever it might be, the truth is surely not here. In short, they can look Neither Out Far nor In Deep. So why bother” (Poland)? In conclusion, you can say that there are things that no matter how far you look you will never see them. If you continue looking in all the wrong places, all you will find is emptiness and a lack of trust for what you already know.
Works Cited:
Poland, Peter. "On "Neither Out Far Nor In Deep"." Illinois.edu. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec 2010. .